Recipe: Apple Pie Breakfast Cookies

I have long been a fan of the breakfast cookie (or any cookie, really). Many of us enjoy scones or muffins for breakfast, so why not a very near cousin made more morning appropriate thanks to whole-grain flour and natural sugar? I've done many riffs on this recipe; this one is warmly spiced and tailored for crisp, cozy fall mornings.

I did a version of a breakfast cookie in my cookbook, Whole Grain Mornings, that was really loaded with nuts and had millet for extra crunch. I used that recipe to come up with this new version, packed with fragrant apples, soft raisins, and toasty pecans.

The first time I baked up a batch, the apples weren't fully cooked; and while the cookie itself tasted delicious, I wished the apples were softer and more integrated. So this time, I cooked them down with a little brown sugar and lemon juice until they were soft and resembled apple pie filling. Then I folded them in towards the end to give the dough great flavor and texture.

The dough for these cookies is definitely on the wetter side, so never fear if you feel you did something wrong: you likely didn't. They also don't spread much on the cookie sheet, so feel free to place them relatively close together.

These cookies freeze beautifully and are easily adaptable (use your favorite nuts and fruit instead if you'd like). If you make any adaptations or changes that you're particularly excited about, I'd love to hear about them!

Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until incorporated. Fold in the raisins and pecans. Let dough sit and rest 10 minutes.

Using between 2 to 3 tablespoons of dough, scoop balls onto cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Use the palm of your hand to gently flatten the cookies until about 1/2-inch thick.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies are firm on the outside, but still slightly soft in the center. Allow cookies to cool at least 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

I don't bother peeling the apples for this recipe because I like the rustic texture and, in truth, you just don't notice them much anyway, so I save the trouble.

With the generous amount of cinnamon-y apples, these cookies have quite a bit of moisture, so they're really best enjoyed the day you bake them. That being said, you can certainly cover and store leftovers for 1 additional day.